Engineering Classrooms Before and After Innovation

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Engineering ClassroomsBefore and After Innovation

• David Cordes, University of Alabama,
  cordes_at_cs.ua.edu
• Jeff Froyd, Texas AM University,
  froyd_at_ee.tamu.edu

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Workshop Overview

• Introduction (20 min)
• Guidelines, what is an innovative classroom?
• What Other Institutions Have Done (25 min)
• Information dump
• Classroom Transformation (30 min)
• What do you do? How do you do this?
• Other Issues and Considerations (20 min)
• Items that can impact potential changes
• Wrap-up (5 min)

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Introduction Basic Guidelines

• Will operate in a team-based mode
• The group knows more than any one person
• Interrupt frequently
• No pre-defined set of material that must be
  covered in this workshop
• When looking at innovative classrooms, we will
  focus on
• The use of technology in the classroom
• Lower-division engineering courses

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Introduction Share information

• Within your group discuss the following question
  among yourselves
• What is an innovative classroom?(and could you
  recognize one if you saw it)
• Appoint a reporter to capture group results

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Part 2 What others have done

• Short (25 minute) information dump
• Background Information
• one-page introduction to technology-enabled
  learning
• Representative Foundation Coalition efforts
• Arizona State University
• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
• Texas AM University
• University of Alabama
• Other sample initiatives
• RPIs studio model
• Drexels EE laboratories
• Penn State online forum

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New Classroom Environments
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Arizona State UniversityClassrooms vary based on
need

• Philosophy
• College focus on technology in classrooms,
  different classrooms for different needs, faculty
  training essential
• Classroom layout equipment
• Hold 40 to 80 students, team-based seating,
  instructor has ability to project student work on
  main screens
• Software Applications
• Wide variety, different rooms have different
  packages, all information available via the
  Internet
• Audience
• All fundamental engineering courses

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Arizona State University
Sample ASU Classroom
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Rose-Hulman Institute of TechStudent laptop
environment

• Philosophy
• Completely networked campus environment
• Classroom layout equipment
• Every student purchases a notebook computer as an
  entering student (model is specified by
  institution)
• Over 20 classrooms have been equipped with
  network and power connections to support notebook
  computers
• Software Applications
• Maple (calculus), Working Model Maple
  (dynamics), Physics labs (Excel - data
  acquisition/analysis)
• Audience
• All engineering students and classes

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Texas AM UniversityIssues of scale (large
population)

• Philosophy
• Classroom technology must be scalable for large
  classes (100)
• Classroom layout equipment
• Remodeled about 10 classrooms for first-year and
  sophomore courses
• One computer per two students
• Departments have constructed their own
  classrooms, more are planned
• Software Applications
• Microsoft Office, Maple, AutoCAD, Eng. Equation
  Solver (EES), Internet
• EE has students design, simulate, construct,
  measure and compare behavior of circuits. Class
  uses NI hardware and software.
• Audience
• Freshman and sophomore engineering students
• Specialized classes in specific disciplines

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CVLB 319 ENGR 112 Team Layout Sections 501 - 503
Windows
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Podium
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Doors
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University of AlabamaOne model for all classrooms

• Philosophy
• Technology in classrooms, classrooms convenient
  to students (one new classroom in engineering
  dorm)
• Classroom layout equipment
• Remodeled six different classrooms
• Tables for four, one computer per two students
• Departments constructing their own classrooms
• Software Applications
• Microsoft Office, compilers, FORTRAN, Maple
• Audience
• Freshman engineering students
• All students in introductory computing sequence

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Alabama Classroom Layout

• Standard materials in all classrooms
• Student computers, console, projection system
• Primarily used for lower-division classes
• Layout varies with physical room restrictions

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)Studio
Classrooms

• Philosophy studio environment
• Integrate classroom (lecture) with laboratory
  (experiments, acquire/display/analyze data)
• Classroom layout equipment
• Tables with two students (one computer)
• Student
• Using computer faces away from instructor
• Listens to lecture facing away from computer
• Audience
• Mathematics, sciences, engineering students

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RPI Classroom Layout

• Students face instructor during lecture
• Away from computers
• Student away from instructor when using computers
• Instructor cansee monitorseasily

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Drexel ClassroomsLaboratory Equipment

• Laboratory layout equipment
• Laboratory bench for two students (one computer)
• Suite of measurement equipment with computer
  control
• First-year and sophomore students
• Perform experiments and laboratory projects for
  three hours/week
• Philosophy
• From the start students work with current
  equipment and explore stimulating physical
  phenomena
• Audience
• Engineering students

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Technology in Large ClassesPenn State University
Large Class Forum

• Penn State Survey (large lecturers, n54)
• Only 16.7 of faculty to not regularly collect
  feedback
• Why collect feedback from students?
• Comprehension checks
• Surveys/determine preconceptions
• Check on student preparation
• Illustrate concepts
• Survey student attitudes and preferences
• Low-tech methodologies employed
• Written quizzes (33), in-class voting (48)
• How would you utilize high-tech survey
  instruments?
• 96 - quick feedback regarding concepts in
  lecture
• 73 - surveys or attendance
• 71 - classroom assessment (muddiest point)
• 67 - individual response to class problem
  solving exercise

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Part 3 Transformation

• As a team, design your ideal classroom
  environment for the Fall of 2002
• Describe this classroom environment
• Describe how your new activities would benefit
  students and their learning
• Describe the resources (besides ) that would
  be required to realize your visions
• Select a different reporter from last time

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Other Critical Issues

• Design Utilization
• Rooms available for renovation
• Physical layout considerations
• Equipment (cost, size, location, power, HV/AC)
• Time (often takes more than one summer to build)
• Faculty support and education development
• Scheduling of these rooms
• Monitoring after-hours access
• Maintenance upgrade time availability

• Administrative
• Institutions computing policies
• Software licensing
• Purchase, replacement upgrade costs
• Support staffing
• Clear plan for what inst. is doing with
  technology
• Impact on TP process
• Want to assess results, how to best do this
• How to get financial support from State or
  outside sources?

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Resources

• Relevant resources
• Foundation Coalition
• www.foundationcoalition.org/
• Arizona State University
• www.eas.asu.edu/ceasrooms/
• www.eas.asu.edu/asufc/teaming.html
• Texas AM University
• coalition.tamu.edu/
• RPI Studio Classroom
• ciue.rpi.edu/studioteaching.html
• Drexel Classroom
• www.educatorscorner.com/education/case_studies/dre
  xel.shtml
• Penn State Large Classroom Forum
• www.psu.edu/celt/largeclass/forum.shtml
• Sigma Xi Resources
• www.sigmaxi.org/scienceresources/undergradedu.htm

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End of workshop

• Questions?